Community Yearbook

14 Thursday, 21 January, 2021

JUNE

Newbury Weekly News

500 march for Black Lives Matter

Blast from the past

MORE than 500 protesters marched through Newbury to take a stand against racism and inequality following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. People of all ages, many holding banners and placards, turned up in the pouring rain to suppor t the Black Lives Matter movement, which had gained momentum across the world. The protest was organised by 16-year- olds Sam Morton from Newbury and Livia Popplewell from Inkpen. Protesters marched down Northbrook Street before making their way to the Market Place. There, a number of people gave speeches – with some outlining their own first-hand experiences of racism. After the speeches, the Market Place fell silent as the protesters knelt

Battaash off to a flier Morphing into Tonton Macoute, they toured in the UK and Europe in the early 1970s, working in TV and radio, and recording an album. Tonton Macoute were signed to RCA/Neon Records and their album is now a collector’s piece, the label only signing four bands. The original album is available on CD (or vinyl for collectors. Google Tonton Macoute and listen to the tracks. LAMBOURN trainer Charlie Hills enjoyed a tremendous start to Royal Ascot as Battaash raced to victory in the King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1) on the opening day of the five-day festival. Having finished runner-up to Blue Point in 2018 and 2019, the six-year-old made it third time lucky in the five-furlong highlight. It was a brilliant performance from Battaash , who finished ahead of stablemate Equilateral to complete a one-two for trainer Hills. He said:“Fantastic, he was really on his A game today. He was beautifully relaxed before the race and as soon as the gates opened you could see he was going to be very hard to beat. “He has been quite relaxed in his work at home, until Saturday and he was really quite strong in the first half of the gallop. “I think he’d got to the point really when we needed to get a race into him.” THOSE around the Newbury music scene in the 1970s remember enjoying the wider success of progressive jazz/rock band Tonton Macoute. Now, an LP track by the band is included in a new compilation album called Occasional Rain. Tonton Macoute played a unique fusion of jazz- rock. The line-up was Paul French (keyboard/vocals), guitarist/ bassist Gavin Wilkinson (Chris Gavin), drummer Nigel Reveler and Dave Knowles (saxophones/flute). They first worked together professionally in Europe in the late 1960s with the Dick Scott Company showband, and later as pop outfit Windmill, touring and recording three singles with MCA.

Historic bells restored

from the belltower by workmen. They were taken to a foundry, where major repairs will be carried out. With the exception of a replacement bell installed in 1930, all the pieces were cast in the 17th and 18th centuries. They have never before been lowered together, so the event was a historic occasion for the village.

RESIDENTS and friends of Hampstead Norreys were granted a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe the historic bells of St Mary’s Church, before they were removed for restoration work. The bells – the oldest of which dates from 1619 – were set out inside the church, having been taken down

down in the rain in memory of George Floyd, who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes.

Circus performers stranded

Farewell to Mosi the wolf

since the Government shut all theatres on March 17 and, with no recourse to public funds, were surviving on donations from West Berks Foodbank. Thanks to help from Greenham Trust, some managed to make it back home. But £6,000 was needed to get the rest on a flight to Mongolia.

A FUNDRAISING campaign was launched to help eight international circus performers who were left stranded in West Berkshire due to lockdown restrictions. The Mongolian artistes, who are living at Zippos Circus headquarters in Enborne, have been out of work

ONE of the best-loved wolves in the care of the UK Wolf Conservation Trust at Beenhamdied. Mosi was humanely put to sleep in her enclosure having been diagnosed with cancer a year ago. Staff said her fellow wolves howled as she died, giving her a fitting send-of . Mosi was born at Dartmoor Wildlife Park in 2006 and was transferred to the Beenham site within seven days of her birth. Mosi – a favourite with visitors – has since led a quiet life alongside her partner Torak. Trust director Tsa Palmer paid tribute to Mosi, saying: “She was truly a special wolf. She was full of character and with a lot of attitude.”

Droid fetches £8,000 THIS is the droid you’ re looking for. A rare Star Wars toy sold for almost £8,000 in Newbury. The boxed 2-1B Surgical Droid went under the hammer as part of a wider collection of memorabilia at Special Auction Services. SAS director Neil Shuttleworth said the Palitoy collectable was a rare item because of its history and it still being boxed. He said the bidding opened at £80, but the lot “ended up with a battle between two online bidders”, rising “to a couple of thousand straight away”. The toy was sold to an anonymous UK buyer and was valued between £50 and £500.